This invention relates to a terminal cover for a circuit breaker for preventing electrical crossover between adjoining circuit breaker terminals. In particular, this invention relates to a terminal cover for a light industrial rated circuit breaker that can be installed without the use of fasteners and which does not interfere with adjacent mounting of multiple breakers.
Industrial-rated circuit breakers in excess of 600 volt rating, such as described within U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,091 entitled "Bus Cover and Lug Cover for a Molded Case Circuit Breaker," are often required to become positioned next to similar circuit breakers within a common enclosure. To prevent electrical crossover between adjoining circuit breaker terminals upon the occurrence of a short circuit over-current condition within adjoining circuit breakers, the circuit breakers must be separated by a sufficient distance for electrical over-surface clearance.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,689 and 5,049,846, both entitled "Compact Molded Case Circuit Breaker with Increased Ampere Rating," describe the use of lug cover extensions to the line end of the circuit breakers to protect the line lugs from inter-phasal faults.
The aforementioned U.S. patents describe the use of screws and the like to fixedly attach the separate lug covers to the circuit breaker enclosures at an added expense in materials, time, and labor.
So-called "light industrial-rated circuit breakers," up to 400 volt rating, are also used within common enclosures and are separated for over-surface clearance. Low costs are achieved by utilizing single pole circuit breakers attached together with a common handle tie for simultaneous ON-OFF operation. Because of the lower costs associated with such light industrial-rated circuit breakers, the added expenses of a lug cover was heretofore unwarranted. The space separation requirement limits the number of circuit breakers used within the enclosure with a resultant limitation in